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If you haven’t seen Tim Jeffs‘ artwork yet, we’re excited to introduce you to his amazing talents today! Tim is our Feature Artist, a brand new role on the Tombow team that we’re incredibly excited about. Tim is a life-long illustrator who has a passion for art, especially complex, intricate subject matter. He has been a commercially trained artist for 30 years and earned his degree in illustration from the Parsons School of Design in New York.

We recently caught up with Tim to ask him some questions so we could introduce him to you. Check out our interview below, and you’ll also see some of his fantastic artwork!

Q: What inspired you to draw animals in particular?

They were really my interest from the first time I picked up pen or pencil in elementary school. My uncle was a college professor and he inspired me over and over to draw what I loved to draw – and that was animals. I would go to the zoo and be absolutely fascinated by the animals. I did a lot of hiking and seeing animals in nature, so when I would get home I’d just start drawing. It all blossomed from there. Animals have so many traits to them, which is another reason why I like drawing them – the fur, the scales, the skin, the wrinkles – there are so many different textures. It really challenges me each time I do a drawing. That’s where the interest started and it just skyrocketed from there. There’s endless animals to draw and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface.

Q: How have you developed your skills as an artist?

I was lucky enough to have really amazing art teachers throughout my whole life, starting in Junior High, who noticed my ability to love what I was doing and really concentrated me on that. I really put teachers on a pedestal because they really have the influence to affect someone’s life, and that happened for me. The big thing about art is you get better by doing more. I draw all the time – I always have a sketchbook with me and draw whenever I’m free. Believe me, in my mind I still have lots more to learn. That’s the nice thing about art, and I believe that’s the best thing about art, is if you believe you’re never great you always get better. Every single drawing is a new learning experience for me.

Q: You have a very active Facebook Group devoted to coloring. How has that helped you as an artist?

The feedback you get from talking to people is the best education you can get, and having an interaction is so important and so special. Usually when you draw, it’s by yourself. Having the ability to take that and get peoples’ reactions and get them excited and have them inspire others to do art is really what drives me. When I first got into social media, I couldn’t believe the amount of interaction you could have with people around the world. It’s become a snowball effect of inspiration – we’re inspiring each other back and forth. I’ve seen colorists who started off coloring my work who now draw their own art! There’s no good or bad – it’s all about learning. We’ve really nurtured an extremely friendly community. There’s no competition or any negativity and it’s a beautiful thing. (Join Tim’s free coloring community by clicking here.)

Q: When did you start using Tombow products?

I started using Tombow products about 4-5 years ago. I was always struggling with finding a colored pencil that would have a very hard tip, because I like detail, and many colored pencils break because they won’t take the pressure of a heavy hand. When I first started using Tombow it was just what I was looking for. I love the Irojiten Colored Pencils‘ incredibly sharp tip, the amazing array of colors and the fact that the pigment really lays down. When I started showing people on social media how much I love them, they wanted to use them too. I’m absolutely falling in love with using the pens now. Quality in a product is so important for me. I put 40+ hours into drawing some of my very detailed pieces, and using products that aren’t up to par or don’t do the job is just so wasteful.

Q: In your opinion, what makes Tombow products different from others?

I’ve tried tons of other colored pencils, and I literally don’t look back to any of the others. Irojitens far exceed the other competitors in so many ways – they’re comfortable, the pigments are strong, the tips are very sharp, and there is such a variety of colors. In my opinion, Tombow has a lot of more subtle colors, which I love. I love pastels and a lot of other brands only have the bright end of the spectrum. I can’t even compare anymore because Tombow is so far ahead in my mind.

Q: How does it feel to be Tombow’s first ever Feature Artist?

I’m extremely honored and excited to be part of the Tombow family. I absolutely love your products and I’m honored to not only use them, but also to represent the company. I love the products so much, they’re really and truly all I use right now. It’s a dream come true for me to be matched up with a company I respect so greatly in the quality of the products and the friendship of the company.

Win a signed copy of Tim’s book + our Irojiten Coloring Set!

Enter below for a chance to win a signed copy of Tim’s book and one of our Irojiten Coloring Sets! We will randomly select TWO winners on Tuesday July 25, 2017. Winners will be notified by email. Must be located within the United States or Canada to be eligible to receive the prize. Good luck!

Tims ART is by far the Best out there when it comes to coloring books etc, His images Make every Colorist Able to produce a Masterpiece no matter what skill level , I haven’t tried Tombow yet ,but there on my wish list, I to color with a heavy hand

I am a new fan of Tim Jeffs and I love his art! I use pencils most of the time when coloring and have been wanting a set of Tombow’s Irojiten pencils since talking to several friends who use them all the time. I would be thrilled to win this contest!!!

I love this article on Tim Jeffs. He is one of my favorite artists, and what he didn’t mention about his coloring group is the time he devotes to it. He is very interactive; answering questions, commenting on pictures and show his support to those in the group. It is rare to find a successful artist who creates and supports dialogue in his group as Tim does.

Tim’s books and Tombow Irojiten have added a whole new dimension of coloring. His gray scale art comes to life when colored with the Tombow pencils. His attention to detail generates amazing results when using these pencils whether one is very young or very old, whether an expert or a novice! This is a brilliant combination of amazing Tombow products combined with a talented artist.

Congrats Tim on being Tombows first feature artist!! So well deserved, you’re an amazing artist, I adore your artwork.
I’ve heard so many great things about Tombow’s Irojiten, knowing you use them makes me want them even more. Got some saving to do.
Thanks Tombow for giving us the chance to win one of Tim’s books and one of our Irojiten Coloring Sets, would definately be a dream come true.

This is such a wonderful blog about Tim Jeffs and his amazing animal art and a great insight into how it all started and continues to grow and grow. I have followed Tim’s art now for over a year and just when you think his artistry cant get any better it just does and its simply breathtaking. He has inspired so many people to colour and seeing all the creative and beautiful colouring in his group is just so wonderful to see and a true inspiration to so many people. Through Tim I have become a big fan of Tombow products and your Irojiten pencils are my favourite go to medium for colouring all the intricate detail on Tim’s drawings. They are so great at blending and layering and give such amazing results with the fantastic array of different colours. l also have the Tombow Dual Tip Pens and they are also so great to use and to be able to paint the colours onto Tims drawings – another great medium to use. Thanks for this insightful blog into an incredible artist and for your wonderful products. What a great collaboration!!

I love the detail work of this featured artist. I’m just beginning artist and self taught. What brought me into art was my severe anxiety. Honestly, sitting down and drawing, colouring or doing painting/pastel art, is the only thing that rests my mind and gives me some peace.

I cannot believe how much I have learned since I first started about a year ago just by watching YouTube videos and joining groups like this. When I see other artists’ work…..I get so inspired and I learned so much. Thank you for adding us newcomers and newbies to art, it really does help being part of a group of people with the same interests who want to help each other!

Tim Jeff’s attention to detail in his artwork and how the small intricate details produce such a large complex unique piece of art amazes me!
I am on ODSP and very short on supplies so haven’t been able to try Tombows yet….but it’s definitely on my bucket list and hopefully one day I’ll be in a better spot to purchase them!

Tombow Brand really brings life to what you are coloring. Tim’s amazing talent has been amplified by the range of colors &/or shades Tombow has. So wonderful to see Tim is now a Tombow Featured Artist.

So excited to see Tim Jeffs as your featured artist!! His books are totally awesome and so fun to color!!!! I hope to eventually be able to get more of the dual brush markers and your colored pencils. Being disabled though sometimes puts a crimp in what I can and can’t afford to get. But I’m totally addicted to coloring and I color every day! Thank you for this chance to win!

I enjoyed reading the interview with Mr. Jeffs!! He’s a wonderful person in addition to being an incredible artist!! I respect and admire him a great deal. His coloring books are the highest quality I have seen. I own nearly 100 adult coloring books and his are hands-down the highest quality in my collection. The hardback covers are gorgeous and heavyweight. The paper is high quality, which is extremely important when coloring. The printing is perfect with even ink and no smudging! There are no fillers, just incredible work of art of beautiful animals. Every stroke of Mr. Jeffs’ pen adds to the complexity and character of the animal. The books are an amazing value, price-wise as well!

Mr. Jeffs’ is very active on his Facebook group. He always encourages us and is truly thankful for all support and purchases of his work.

I completely agree with him about the Tombow Irojiten pencils! I love them for the same reasons. None of the other sets I have contain very many colors outside of the brights and non compare at holding a point. I’m hooked for life!

I love Tim Jeffs art. I have colored the mandarin duck and it was just so much fun. Actually, even before coloring it, I just love looking at his art! The animals are so real its as if you can touch them. I would love to won all his coloring books. some are not available on amazon and I am waiting for them to be.

Tim Jeff’s art is full of spirit and his giving to various wildlife organizations is so exciting! Thanks for sharing your gifts and talents! Rare gems!
I only own one set of Tombow Markers that I love…would love to expand that!

I love Tim Jeff’s artwork. Especially the coloring books. I have been collecting the Tombow water color brush and love those and I have started saving for the Tombow pencils. I am on 56 years old, have Systemic Lupus,RA, Heart FAilure and am on oxygen all of the time. Coloring is something I enjoy. I love animals and have 2 dogs and 2 horses. I have started riding again after being bed ridden for several years. I would live to own a full set of the colored pencils someday well as all of TIm Jeff’s books and calendars.

His work is beautiful. I have not tried the Tombow pencils yet. I would like to, just have not had the funds to purchase pencils lately. I will be trying them and Tim Jeff’s work too. How could I not after seeing the flip through??